A machine tool of the generic type is known e.g. from DE 10 2012 201 736 A1, which relates to an all-purpose machine tool having a chip collecting space. The exemplary machine tool of the generic type comprises a machine bed of a machine frame, on which a slide, that is guided on linear guideways and has a workpiece table for clamping a workpiece, is guided.
Furthermore, a linearly movable machine stand is guided along a portion of the machine bed where a vertically movable spindle head is guided which has a work spindle for driving a machining tool. The machine bed has a chip collecting space where chips are collected that accumulate when the workpiece clamped on the workpiece fable is machined by means of a tool clamped in the work spindle.
The chip collecting space of the machine tool comprises a conveying channel that accommodates a screw conveyor which is suitable to convey chips collected in the conveying channel in the longitudinal direction of the conveying channel by rotationally driving the screw conveyor. Such a conveying device of a machine tool serves to convey the chips accumulated in the conveying channel of the chip collecting space to an outlet opening of the machine tool where an external or integrated chip conveyor and/or an external or integrated chip conveying device can optionally be provided.
The screw conveyors of such conveying devices for leading away chips at machine tools are usually designed as a single-piece shaped part in the prior art and have an inner shaft portion, around which a spiral section convolves. When the screw conveyor is damaged or broken, it has to be replaced as a whole, and therefore in the maintenance due to damage or destruction of the screw conveyor long machine down times have to be taken into account for the maintenance. In addition, the production of such a screw conveyor is expensive, time-consuming and complex since a heavy cast single part, sometimes of considerable length, has to be produced. Furthermore, a rather large and/or strong drive is required for the rotational motion of the screw conveyor on account of the resulting large mass of the screw conveyor.
On the basis of the above mentioned problems of the prior art, an object of the invention is to provide a machine tool which has a conveying device for leading away chips and, in contrast to the prior art, can be maintained more easily and has a simpler design that requires less maintenance, in particular preferably a lower weight and thus smaller drives.